Tie down device



Jan. 23, 1962 ca. D. STOUGH ET AL 3,018,079

TIE DOWN DEVICE Filed March 26, 1956 INVENTORS GERALD D.STOUGH y HARRY V.COLL|NS ATTORNEYS ilnited tates Patent Ofiice fii fi'ii Patented Jan. 23, I962 3,018,079 TIE DOWN DEVICE Gerald D. Stough, Detroit, and Harry V. Collins, Birmingham, Mich, assignors to Whitehead & Kaies Company, River Rouge. Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 26, I956, Ser. No. 573,748 1 Claim. (Cl. 248119) The present invention relates to a tie down device, and more particularly to such a device including a hook having a portion insertable through an opening in an anchorage panel. Tie down devices of this sort are useful in numerous applications, and are adapted to be employed with tensioning chains or the like to tie down automobiles to motor transport units.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a double hook tie down device having a body portion provided with a central opening, a pair of hook portions extending edgewise from said body portion at opposite sides of said opening, and a ring pivotally secured in said opening and dimensioned to pass over at least one of said hook portions to permit its use alternatively with either of said hook portions.

it is a further object of the present invention to provide a tie down device having two hook portions, one having a spur thereon requiring an elongated slot in the anchorage panel to accommodate it, and the other shaped for insertion into a round opening in a panel.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device as described in the preceding paragraph in which the hook portions extend in the same rotational sense.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device as described in the preceding paragraphs in which the hook portions extend in opposite angular sense, the end portion of the hook portion which does not have a spur being disposed generally concentric to the end of said spurred hook portion to facilitate removal from a panel.

Other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a double hook constructed in accordance with the present invention, and showing in section a portion of an anchorage panel engaged thereby.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of the tie down device Shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of tie down device, and showing in section a portion of an anchorage panel to which it is secured.

Referring first to FIGURES l and 2 there is shown a tie down device having a relatively flat substantially square body portion 12 provided with a central opening 14 for receiving a part 30 of a tensioning chain or the like. Located at diametrically opposite sides of the central opening 14 are hook portions indicated generally at 15 and 18 which project edgewise from the body portion 12. The hook portion 16 comprises an open return bent portion having an end 22 adapted to abut one side of an anchorage panel P when the hook portion 16 is inserted through a hole or opening 19 in the panel P. The body portion 12 has in spaced relation to the hook portion 16 an offset portion 24 that is preferably in the form of a bar that crosses one edge of the body at substantially right angles thereto and is transversely curved from its upper to its lower edges. Such bar 24 is adapted to engage the opposite side of the anchorage panel P when the hook portion 16 is inserted through the hole 19. It will be understood that the panel P in which the hook portion 16 of the tie down device is engaged may be relatively thin sheet material. The outer face of the bar 24 and the free end 22 of the hook portion 16 are constructed and arranged in such a way relative to each other that the bar and the end 22 of the hook portion constitute fulcrum and reaction elements respectively after the hook portion has been inserted through the hole 19 in the panel P, and will exert forces in opposite directions against opposite sides of said panel when the body portion 12 is subjected to tension by the tensioning chain along a line substantially parallel to one side of said panel.

The hook portion 18 is similar to the hook portion 16 but is modified by the provision thereon of a spur 26 which extends from the back of the hook portion 18 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the hook portion is curved. The spur 26 is thus engageable behind the lower edge of the hole or opening 19 in the panel P when the hook portion 18 is inserted through the hole 19 in the panel P. It will be appreciated that the hook portion 16 may be inserted through a circular hole or opening in the panel P, but the hook portion 18 provided with the spur 26, requires the provision in the panel P of a horizontally elongated hole or opening 119 to enable both the hook portion 18 and the spur as to be inserted therethrough. After insertion of the hook portion 18 and spur 26 through the horizontally elongated hole or opening 19 the tie down device will be turned degrees to the illustrated position. The body portion 12 also has in spaced relation to the hook portion 18 an oitset portion 29 in the form of a bar corresponding to the bar 24. Such bar 29 and the free end of the hook portion 13 are adapted to function in a manner similar to that described in connection with the bar 24 and the free end of the hook portion 16.

The part 30 of the tensioning chain is preferably a link or ring that extends loosely through the opening 14-. The ring is dimensioned so that it will pass over at least one of the hooks 16 and 18 and in practice, it is preferred to dimension the ring 14 so that it will pass over both of the hook portions 16 and 18, as well as the bars or pads 24 and 29.

It will be observed that the hook portions 16 and 18 face in the same sense; that is, counterclockwise as see in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 there is illustrated a modified tie down device comprising a body at} having an opening therein which receives a ring 42 for engagement with a tie down member such for example as a chain, chain hook, cable or the like. In this embodiment of the invention the body comprises a hook portion 44 which may be identical with the hook portion 18 previously described, and which is provided with a spur 46 engageable behind a supporting panel when the device is in use. Due to the provision of the spur 46, the hook portion 44 is insertable only through an elongated opening. In practice such opening is horizontally elongated and the hook portion 44 is inserted and thereafter turned 90 degrees to its operating position.

At the opposite side of the body member at} from the hook portion 44 is a second hook portion 48. The hook portion 48 is preferably of generally circular cross-section and hence may be inserted in a circular opening 54) in a panel P. The only requirement is that the hook portion 48 may be inserted without interference from the hook portion 44.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 2, the hook portions 16 and 18 extend in the same rotational sense; that is, counterclockwise as seen in FIGURE 1. In the device illustrated in FIGURE 3 it will be observed that the hook portions 44 and 48 extend in the opposite rotational sense. Thus, as seen in this figure, the hook portion 48 extends generally in a clockwise direction whereas the hook portion 44 extends in a generally counterclockwise direction. In order to insure that the hook portion 48 may be withdrawn without interference from the opening 50, at least that part of the hook portion 48 adjacent its free end is formed generally in an arc concentric with the end of the hook portion 44. Thus, when the end of the hook portion 44 engages the right hand side of the panel P, as seen in FIGURE 3, the remaining part of the hook portion 48 may be withdrawn by rocking the device about an axis located generally adjacent the free end of the hook portion 44. In this case it will be observed that there is no necessity for the ring '42 to pass over either of the hook portions 44 or 48 since in all cases it will remain in the position illustrated in FIGURE 3.

In use, when a hook of the tie down device is received in a hole or opening 19 in the panel P the body portion 12 is subjected to tension by the tensioning chain as previously described. This tension tends to rock the tie down device counterclockwise as seen in FIGURE 1 and this produces forces between the tie down device and opposite sides of the panel P at points separated from the edges of the opening 19 therethrough. As a result of this arrangement tendency to damage the panel or to initiate a tear at the opening through the panel are substantially eliminated. Should the hook portion 18 move longitudinally in a clockwise direction in the hole 19, for example when the tensioning chain should become slack or loose for. any reason such as when the transport vehicle travels over a bump in the road, then the spur 26 will engage the adjacent side of the panel P to check such movement, and thereby Will prevent any accidental withdrawal of the hook portion 18 from the hole 19 in the panel P.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved tie down device in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claim.

What we claim as our invention is:

The combination with an upright plate-like anchorage member provided with a horizontally extending elongated opening, of a tie down hook having an upright body portion upon one side of said anchorage member and provided intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof with an opening for receiving a part of a tensioning element, the side of said body portion adjacent said anchorage member being provided at the lower end thereof with an integral horizontally extending crossbar and provided at the upper end thereof with an integral outwardly projecting substantially C-shaped hook portion, said crossbar being substantially parallel to and engageable with said one side of said anchorage member, said hook portion projecting through said elongated opening and extending upwardly upon and curving toward the opposite side of said anchorage member, said hook portion being provided on the underside thereof with an integral elongated downwardly projecting spur disposed upon and substantially parallel to said other side of said anchorage member, the free end of said C-shaped hook portion and one side of said downwardly projecting elongated spur being engageable with said opposite side of said anchorage member and cooperating with the crossbar aforesaid to interlock the hook with said anchorage member, the combined extent of said elongated spur and of the cross sectional area of said hook portion adjacent said spur being greater than the vertical width of said horizontally extending opening to prevent accidental withdrawal of said hook portion and elongated spur through said horizontally extending opening, said hook portion and elongated spur being manually withdrawable as a unit through said horizontally extending opening only when said body portion, hook portion and elongated spur as a unit are turned to a position in which said hook portion and elongated spur are in horizontal alignment with said horizontally extending opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,789,126 Aldeen Jan. 13, 1931 1,938,370 Bodkin Dec. 5, 1933 2,184,812 Hendrik Dec. 26, 1939 2,322,576 Huebshman et al June 22, 1943 2,591,986 Weiss et a1. Apr. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 520,184- Great Britain Apr. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,018,079 January 23, 1962 Gerald D Stough et all It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 15, for "other" read opposite Signed and sealed this 14th day of April 1964.

(SEAL) W SWIDER EDWARD J44 BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

